Eridanus
by moon strut
Summary: We're falling faster than the stars. —natsu&lucy, 30heartbeats!series
1. introduction

**prompt:** lj's _30heartbeats_ no.1.01  
**dedication: **To anthologies & short_short_ drabbles; to bestfriendships & beyond; and to Michelle & her amazing self.

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** /introduction**

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She's weird.

—is the first thing that runs through his mind. (The next has a little something to do with the not-Igneel and his merry band of misfits,

but then he's back to thinking of her—and only her.)

And he just stares—at her gold_gold _hair and her pretty_pretty_ smile. He's perched upon the dust and the dirt, with a fistful of 'lame' and an injured pride, but none of that seems to matter._  
_

Because she's _smiling_ at him.

Then she offers to buy him and Happy lunch as thanks for a deed he had not done, and as they sit in that cozy, little restaurant, she paints pictures of magic and adventure, with her words—and only her words.

(He's vaguely aware of her lengthy introduction, but regrets that her name slips through his fingers,

like a handful of sand.)

And somehow they end up on a boat in the middle of the sea. The world is rocking, swaying, unsteady like his heartbeat. Seconds pass; minutes tick by; he feels kicks and beatings, and it is anything but quiet. But then the shaking stops, and the sickness subsides. There is fire—so much fire, and it feels like molten lava coursing through his veins; it's a thrill like no other.

Because she's _watching_ him.

The day ends with her hand in his as they run and run, the ruins of the port left in their wake. They're flying and laughing—and perhaps, falling as well_._ Then his words slip out without him knowing. _ You want to join Fairy Tail, right?_

The orange glow of the evening flames makes it look like her eyes are on fire and her smile is burning—so very, very bright_. __Then come with me!_

(And he can't help but think,

he wouldn't mind living like this

—for the rest of his days.)

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	2. the world starts with me

**prompt:** lj's _30heartbeats _no.1.02  
**notes: **Y'know what, I don't even care that this fic isn't getting much love; I'm enjoying these way too much.

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**/the world starts with me**

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She's shivering.

—and he doesn't know if he should risk an arm around her or watch in turmoil as her lips turn blue.

Erza and Gray remain still in their spots, with rhythmic breaths and rising chests. The fire crackles in the moonlight, and all is silent as the land sleeps. He's lying on his side, dark_dark _eyes on her fragile form; the shadowed bruise on her exposed arm brings about a frown on his brow.

Small, delicate fingers grasp his scarf, and Lucy's gentle voice shatters the quiet of the night. "Natsu, I'm cold—keep me warm?"

And he complies, wordlessly, moving closer to throw a precarious arm around her icy shoulders.

(He thinks vaguely to himself, she never wears enough clothing.

—but secretly he doesn't mind,

because he gets to do things like _this_.)

His fingers absentmindedly brush through her soft_soft _hair, and she's probably fallen asleep again, eyes shut and heart steady. He clears the stray strands from her porcelain face, and contemplates aloud,

"I used to think the world was about me,

and then Igneel and Fairy Tail,"

His hand finds hers, their fingertips barely grazing.

"So, I wonder—when did it become about you?"

There is no answer, and he doesn't really mind.

(But he misses the soft curve of her upturned lips and the bright glow of her flushed pink cheeks in the chilly midnight air.)

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**notes: **Er, review anyway?


	3. innocence

**prompt: **lj's _30heartbeats _no.1.03  
**notes: **Thanks so much for the feedback last chapter; I really appreciate it, and you are all darlings. You deserve cake—or, how 'bout some precious nalu moments instead?

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**/innocence**

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She's hysterical.

—and he watches, half-amused and half-worried, as she adamantly denies Cana's words, flustered and abashed and turning so redred_red, _it's like she's on fire.

(He notices the moments when she's especially annoyed or embarrassed, where she often flails her arms around and about,

and he secretly thinks it's the cutest thing ever.)

Cana always has a wonderful time teasing her out of her wits, like she does with _everyone_; and by the end of it all, Lucy always stalks away, only to rejoin the guild later after she's had some time to cool herself down.

But this time is different—this time, Lucy does not stalk away like she usually does.

And he's scared half to death as she marches over to where he sits, with a glazed and clouded look in her brown_brown _eyes. Her delicate palms find their way to his cheeks, lightly flushing,

(He's vaguely aware that his heart has probably stopped.)

and then she firmly presses her soft_soft_ lips to his. For seconds—or were they centuries?—neither move, like eternal sculptures carved from cold, hard stone. But when she parts, her hands flutter to her emblazoned face to hide her shame from his dark, searching eyes.

"Cana said I'm too innocent to kiss anybody," her explanation came out in muffled whispers, and had it not been for his impeccable hearing, those words would still be left unheard.

He swallows thickly, knowing well what she means, but offers her a smile full of sunshine, lightly ruffling her gold_gold _hair.

"Idiot,

don't just kiss people randomly."

(—_Only kiss _me_.)_

And he convinces her, with something so minuscule, they will surely soon forget.

(But he never really does.)

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**notes: **I wasn't really feelin' this one.


	4. expectations

**prompt: **lj's _30heartbeats _no.1.04**  
notes: **Seriously, you guys are so sweet! /sobs

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**/expectations**

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She's crying.

—and he feels his heart crack a little more with every sob that rips from her throat. The world around them is in shambles, with blazing streaks of magic,

and searing streaks of tears.

But none of that seems to matter to him, as she sits and screams, sad_sad _face buried in her fragile hands.

(And he finds himself unable to look away.)

Somewhere nearby, Acnologia takes flight, massive wings trashing and shredding through the wind. The air is sucked away, almost like a vacuum, and it is infinitely harder to breathe, hair whipping their faces in disarray.

Everywhere he looks, friends are falling down, losing hope, slowly—painfully slowly breaking apart. High in the sky, Acnologia blocks out the last rays of the sunlight; Lucy cries harder.

And so he does the only thing he can do.

His fingers are carefully laced with hers, and the last of her tears spill over from her glassy, brown eyes. There's a _barely_there flush on her pink_pink _cheeks, and they exchange a ghost of smile—just for the sake of smiling.

(He's vaguely aware that this is probably the last time he'll get to see that pretty_pretty _smile of hers,

and he misses it already.)

As they all join together in their last rush of hope, he squeezes her hand, so small in his, and whispers a silent goodbye,

as a the maelstrom of light envelops them into nothingness.

But when he wakes up, seven years later, not expecting to be surrounded by the weeping forms of his old and dear friends, there are no words to describe how he's feeling. Somehow, he makes sure the first thing is he does is find Lucy and hug her so close, she never has the chance to disappear again.

(And the relief of seeing her, smiling, shining, _living_, is so absolutely overwhelming,_  
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it makes him want to cry.)

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**notes: **I just _love _this scene—don't you?


	5. dreams

**prompt: **lj's _30heartbeats _no.1.05  
**notes: **I'll try to post one daily. (Yeah, let's just see how long _that _lasts)

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**/dreams**

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She talks in her sleep.

—and he likes to listen, eyes burning brightbright_bright_, as he sits on her windowsill in the breeze of the night. The moon is up high, and when he's not watching her, he stares and stares at the dark_dark _sky and counts the stars._  
_

(He tries to forget that she would probably disapprove of this, if she were awake,

but he stays anyway.)

It's late, and he should sleep, but nightmares and dreams aren't very fun for him. And when he dreams, they're of her anyway—so why not just see the real her?

No dream can compare.

And he hears her mumble incoherently, burying half her face in the heart of the pillow. This brings about a fit of snickers, stifled carefully with his muffler. And he smiles and smiles like he just heard a secret,

and is itching to tell.

But when she murmurs a name—_his _name—his heart takes a leap, and he finds himself almost falling from his adventurous seat. His name is uttered again, and this time, those pretty_pretty_ eyes are open and shining and staring back at him.

(He's somewhat relieved that she hasn't started screaming yet.)

"Did you have a nice dream?"

He smiles and rests his chin in his hand. She nods and yawns, and attempts to fix her messy hair—but he thinks it looks kind of perfect anyway.

"What was it about?"

Lucy smiles and leans against the windowsill beside him.

"You."

And then they count the stars together.

(He makes a mental note to do this more often.

—maybe everyday.)

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**notes: **Wowthisisshort. (Also, can I ask you guys what your favorite line is? Thanks!)


	6. creation

**prompt:** lj's _30heartbeats _no.1.06  
**notes: **i use prompts in such strange ways. also, here's a fun fact — i type these up at night on my phone. seriously.

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**/creation**

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She's giggling.

—and he's sitting and glaring and _not_ really caring that she's actually having a good time, while he's feeling like shit,

drink in his hand and feet in the sand.

And he certainly does not turn his head when the nameless man seated beside her—so close on that blanket they're basically attached at the knees—raves about his journeys and his jokes and whatever else spills out his big fat mouth.

(It pollutes the air and leaves a foul taste on his tongue and a stinging in his chest,

unfamilar as it is unpleasant.)

Natsu takes another swig of his drink, and watches the waves crash again and again, wondering why he's feeling the way he does. And how Lucy always somehow creates for him such strange new feelings, and he hates it as much as he loves it,

but he hates it just a little more.

And when she and the jerk share another round of giggles and snorts, the bottle in his hand is almost crushed into sand.

(He's somewhat aware that he wants to murder a man more than anything else in world right now,

and he really might just do it.)

As the jackass leans in, with lidded eyes and puckered lips, Natsu all but ignites; within seconds, he stomps over—stepping on a trail of hot_hot glass—to_ give the man a quick glare and to grab Lucy's hand and whisk her away like an ever-faithful dragon would his fair princess.

(He was never good with fairy tales,

but if it's for her, he's willing to try.)

She's screaming and shouting and demanding explanations, and he hates to see her like this,

but he hates seeing her with that asshole more.

"You're so stupid and, and—I hate you!"

And as soon as those wretched lies leave her lips, he grabs her head and kisses her hard. The only sound to be heard is the pounding in his ears, so loudloud_loud_.

"It's all your fault."

He whispers and sighs, his forehead against hers, and she stares at him with those sparkly_shiny _eyes, full of wonder and surprise.

"I've created a monster."

She laughs, pulling him closer to kiss him again.

(He smiles against her lips and vaguely thinks,

she tastes like summer.)

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**notes: **hey, homeskillets, what's your favorite line? thanks, cool kids (;


	7. childhood

**prompt:** lj's _30heartbeats _no.1.07  
**notes: **i'm feelin' pretty great.

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**/childhood**

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She's humming.

—and he's lying in the shade of the tree, as she picks some pretty_pretty _flowers, and makes a bouquet for him to see.

(But it's not nearly as pretty as she is, he thinks to himself.)

Her eyes are sparkling, full of glitter, and her cheeks flush lightly, in the warm summer breeze.

(He's vaguely aware that the leaves are dead, red_orange _and orange_red._ And maybe it's actually fall, but when he's with her,

it's _always _summer.)

And then she pulls him, and they skip to the river, hand in hand. The water is gone, dried long ago, but they hop and jump and splash around in their own happiness, without a care in the world.

And for the day—among others—they make forts out of blankets and castles in the sand, build houses in trees and scream out and laugh,

living this day like the very last.

Nothing beats that smile on her face, so brightbright_bright_, like a lovely paper lantern. And Natsu shares the same feelings, with an identical grin, because maybe this is what should happen,

for those with daddy issues and messed up pasts.

(And he swears, he'll give Lucy the childhood she never, ever had.

—because maybe, just maybe he needs one, too.)_  
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**notes: **i totally just cheated you guys of a superadorable scene of nalu!as kids interacting.


	8. the odds

**prompt:** lj's _30heartbeats _no.1.08  
**notes: **i feel like a sad_sad _song.

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**/the odds**

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She's pretty.

—is the only thought running through his mind, as he watches her scribble some words of art, pen anchored tightly in her hand. Her tongue sticks out, and with a furrowed brow, she taps her chin in a silent muse.

(He can't help but find her cute when she's thinking so hard, brown_brown_ eyes focused—so focused.)

And as he sits there on her bed, staring out that crystal_clear_ window at the wide and open sky so blueblue_blue_, he wonders to himself,

what are the odds that she looks at him, like he looks at her?

(Probably the same odds that it rains tomorrow.)

"Hey, Lucy,"

She pauses in her work and tilts her head to the side.

"do you believe in luck?"

She thinks for a bit, and then she says,

"Not really,"

His face falls, barely—just barely.

"but I do believe in _you_."

And they share a bright_bright_ smil_e_, faces flushing so redred_red_, as if on fire. Then, on a strange and odd whim, she lets him read her story, and the words seem to fly and flutter around,

like the room is filled with butterflies.

And he's vaguely aware of what the tale is about—a girl and a boy, and some magic or so, but he can't seem to stop reading the last of the lines.

_They fell in love,_

_and lived happily ever after._

It's corny and lame—with, really, no shame—but for some reason, it sets his veins on fire, so hothot_hot__. _She smiles at him with pink_pink_ lips, and her chin in her hand.

(And desperately, he wants this happy ending.

—even if the odds are against him.)

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It rains the next day,

and she's kissing him beside the river.

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**notes: **er, was this kind of weird?


	9. puppy love

**prompt:** lj's _30heartbeats _no.1.09  
**notes: **school sucks.

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**/puppy love**

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She's staring at him.

—and he's staring at her. Sitting side by side at the bar of the guild, they stare and stare into each other's eyes. Neither move, or even fidget.

(He honestly feels rather uncomfortable.)

She just keeps _staring_.

And sure she's pretty to look at, with those endless eyes and rosy_pink_ cheeks. But he starts to feel the weight of her gaze, crushing him slowly,

like she's waiting for something.

(Something he doesn't know.)

Suddenly, she slaps the the counter, and then:

"Natsu—

do you like me?"

And he chokes on air.

"Everyone keeps saying you like me. Is it true?"

He opts to madly chug his fiery drink, wishing hardhard_hard_ she would just go away.

(—but no, wait, he likes having her around.

She can stay.)

"If you do, why don't you just say something?"

She continues, face turning red.

"So, what kind of love is it—puppy love? Bestfriendship love? Do you have a crush on me, Natsu?"

He pauses and wonders, has she been drinking?

She wobbles a bit in her seat beside him, flushing deeply with a crooked smile. He sighs and sighs, and holds her up so she doesn't fall.

"Yes, Lucy—I like you."

She won't remember it anyway.

"So you like_l__ike_ me?"

"Yes."

"Then kiss me."

His scarf is wrenched between her fingers, as she pulls him closercloserc_loser_. Breaths are mingling, flushed cheeks tingling, and he is lost in her scent, in her warmth, in her pretty_pretty_ eyes. Noses touch, soft lips brush, and—

And then she falls into him, gonegone_gone_, breathing softly on his chest.

He sighs and swallows hard, a lump in his throat. Brushing aside her saffron hair, he thinks to himself,

it's a good thing she won't remember.

(But he kind of wishes that she would.)

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**notes: **this one made me snort while i wrote it, pfft.


	10. sunrise

**prompt:** lj's _30heartbeats _no.1.10  
**notes: **whoops, i skipped out on an update yesterday.

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**/sunrise**

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She's glowing.

—and he isn't sure if it's just the way the moonlight is hitting her porcelain skin, or if she's actually radiating, serene smile on her pink_pink _lips.

They sit upon the dewy grass, shoulders bumping, nudging, teasing. And he listens to her talk animatedly, lyrical words ringing through his ears.

(He misses most of what she's saying—not really paying attention,

but he likes the way her eyes grow wide, glimmering in the starlight, when she's talking about constellations and lights in the sky.)

And they stay that way until the sunrise peeks through wispy clouds, orange and yellow and so brightbright_bright_.

Almost like the sky is on fire.

Lucy falls into a peaceful silence and leans her head against his shoulder, gold_gold _hair spilling onto him,

and he thinks she smells vaguely like vanilla and sunshine.

(He notices she's still glowing, even in the light of the rising sun,

and maybe—maybe she really does just shine on her own.

Like a brilliant star.)

"You're the best friend ever, Natsu."

She murmurs, dithering between wakefulness and sleep; he bites down hard on a lingering question that tugs at his lips, and instead laces his fingers with hers, tiny and small and fitting perfectly in his.

He isn't sure what to think,

as he prods and pokes and tickles her palm.

(But she squeezes his hand, tightly in hers,

and maybe he doesn't really need to think.

—he just needs to _feel_.)

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**notes: **oh my, did i really make some of you cry? I swear, i hadn't intended to! Thanks for sticking 'round up 'til now, everyone. Just twenty more to go!


	11. morning

**prompt:** lj's _30heartbeats _no.1.11  
**notes: **i'm sorry; i know i said i would try to update daily, but midterms have been buttfaces and shit. so yeah.

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**/morning**

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She has no idea.

—he decides, half-full of disappointment and half-full of jumpy heartbeats and jitters, just from _thinking _about it—about _her_.

And she's absolutely beaming, shining_and_shining, chatting in excitement to the girls about her upcoming date.

(Her _date_,

he secretly repeats to himself.)

Lucy is innocent, beautiful, endearing, and most of all—oblivious. And he couldn't agree more, watching from across the guild as she sits all pretty, and shimmering, and glimmering, lighting up the world with her cheshire smiles, brightbright_bright_._  
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—and she has no idea that she is—and has been, for quite some time now—the sole focus of his attention.

She has no idea that all his days start with her, as he wakes up every morning and without knowing it, thinks only of puzzling trains of Lucy and breakfast and Lucy and nakama and fire and Lucy.

She has no idea that these thoughts of her never really stop, even as the day progresses on and on.

She has no idea that even as he drifts off into a night of slumber, his every dream is riddled with herher_her_.

And when she rejects his invitation to go on a job together (because she has a _date_), he tries and tries to hide the disappointment in his crestfallen eyes, glassy and wet and—seriously, he's _not _crying.

Feeling like his heart had been trampled,

Natsu sighs and sighs, trying not to think of why unrequited love is often called a 'crush'.

Then she surprises him, showing up on the train that evening, smiling and dateless and pretty like always.

(And she probably has no idea how incredibly happy he's feeling.)

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**notes: **ew this was kinda weak.


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